Back From the Dead : Retailers Say Halloween Sales Show Welcome Signs of Life

As a small crowd of customers gathered Friday outside Junk for Joy, a Burbank costume store specializing in clothing from the ‘60s and ‘70s, owner Ron Ede prepared for a grueling day of selling bell-bottoms, love beads and platform shoes.

“This is the biggest time of the year for us,” Ede said. “Sales are up slightly from last year, so things are going pretty good for us. Halloween business started fading a few years ago, but I think it’s back.”

In a rare bit of good news for Southland businesses, consumers apparently aren’t spooked by an economy that some might describe as ghoulish. Halloween-related sales appear to be up from last year, as more and more adults shell out cash for a holiday once considered just for kids.

Americans will spend about $400 million on Halloween products this year, according to research by Hallmark Cards Inc.

“A lot of it has to do with adults getting back to their childhood,” said Carolyn Bookter, spokeswoman for Target stores. “People see it as a way to be kids again, and they like to get in the spirit of things, despite the economy.”

Tough times, it seems, may actually help the Halloween business, some retailers said.

“People are in such a down state. This time of year gives them a way to release tension and express themselves in a way they normally can’t,” said Theresa Saidy, owner of the Adele’s of Hollywood costume store. “It’s a way for people to escape their everyday lives.”

Of course, younger ghosts and goblins have remained an important element in the sales mix of Halloween paraphernalia.

Candy sales, aimed mainly at children, are expected to be strong, according to the National Confectioners Assn. Total sales for the month of October are predicted to reach $1 billion.

In addition, a random survey of Southland costume stores shows that tastes in Halloween outfits have been largely influenced by popular television programs and films, such as “Barney the Dinosaur,” “Aladdin,” “Jurassic Park” and “Beauty and the Beast.”

Target expects to sell about 80,000 Barney costumes this year, three times the number of the closest rival, Aladdin.

However, Aladdin tops some stores’ lists.

“Aladdin is the most popular with kids this year,” Saidy said, adding that sales are much better this year than last. “Anything with an Arabian theme--genies, harem girls, swordsmen. Of course, Saddam Hussein outfits still haven’t caught on here, but who knows.”

Adults are going for more traditional costumes this year, primarily period outfits from the American Revolution, the Renaissance and the Old South a la “Gone With the Wind,” said Angelo Pacella of Western Costume Co. in Hollywood. The company has an inventory of 5 million costumes, which it rents mainly to movie and television production companies.

In the months before Halloween, Western selects several hundred costumes to rent to the public. This year’s most popular costume is a park ranger outfit from “Jurassic Park,” Pacella said. He also said business has been brisker this year than last.

Costume sales are also up at general merchandise retailers such as Sav-On drugstores. Target expects its sales of Halloween-related products to jump by more than 45% this year compared to 1992, in large part because it has introduced costumes of popular children’s characters.

As more families celebrate at home because of fears about sending trick-or-treaters into the night, a big growth area has been home decorations, retailers said.

Electronic door knockers that emit scary sounds and hanging pumpkin lights are some of the hot sellers at Target stores, spokeswoman Bookter said.

Tricks and Treats Sales of Halloween-related items have grown into a $400-million industry and are providing a bright spot this year for Southern California retailers. Many of this year’s trends reflect the growing participation of adults in a holiday once regarded as kid stuff:

* More families are celebrating at home. Between $60 million and $70 million will be spent on Halloween decorations and party accessories this year.

* More than 50% of U.S. households will decorate for Halloween--second only to the number that decorate at Christmastime.

* Halloween parties now rank third in popularity among adults, behind New Year’s Eve and the Super Bowl. Nearly 30% of American adults are expected to celebrate this weekend.

* One in three adults will dress up by wearing full costumes or accessories.

* About 90% of families with children under 12 years of age will hold costume parties or go trick-or-treating.

Source: Hallmark Cards Inc.